"Holding Conrad"

Weinstien and Corbett

Amy Ijams - American Photographer

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My dad passed away early in 2005. A lot of local big shots have said some very nice things about him, however, the words that have meant the most to me and my brothers are those of former students and friends that took a few minutes out of their day to let us know what my dad meant to them.

If you have a picture or thoughts to share, send 'em over. I will post them here.

Mark (mark@markjoyner.com)

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Mark, I love it!

The photo was taken in "The Mumbles," Wales on one of or tours. Your dad travelled twice across the Atlantic with us and once to NZ/Aus. He was so proud retracing the steps around Coogee Beach in Sydney where he studied as a Fullbright Scholar!

Dave

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I was fortunate enough to have been a student of Dr. Joyner's at the UofA in 1992-93 while working on my masters degree. I was trying to track him down and I was heart broken to come across his memorium. I saw you listed as a contact and wanted to try to reach you. Perhaps you are his son?

Dr. Joyner was such an amazing man. I loved his classes and sitting through his lectures were a joy. He was incredibly kind and during a very difficult time for me, encouraged me to build self confidence. He even took the time out to meet me for breakfast after graduation and coach me on speaking publicly (I was too mortified to even raise my hand in class!). I ended up going after an incredible internship in the Arizona Senate and then being chosen as a Dunn Fellow for the Governor of Illinois. From that I lobbyed on Gov Edgar's behalf for the IEPA. I thought of Dr Joyner before every committee hearing. I sent him some notes over the year to keep him up to date.

My oldest son, Jack, who is now 8, has spent his life battling developmental delays and global motor planning dysfunction and a severe articulation disorder. Unsure of a cause or diagnosis, the best guess and what makes the most sense is that he may have suffered a stroke before birth. I recall Dr Joyner being so incredibly strong and determined after his stroke and that has given me so much faith in what Jack can do. He is doing so well too, in a regular second grade class, learning to write, speaking more and more clearly...even working with a gymnastics coach for motor planning.

I guess really what Im trying to say is that I wanted your family to know how much I think of and loved Dr Joyner and how he is in my thoughts so often. He will never be forgotten.

Nancy Rhodes

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Dear Mark: I had a class with Conrad Joyner in, I think, 1973. He was my favorite teacher during my years at the UofA. I have often thought fondly of him. His classes were always thought provoking about the society that we live in. Your father had a significant impact on me and I am sure a number of other people in his life time. May God bless you and your family. Regards, Jeff

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Dr. Joyner's influence on my life has been great.  It was in his Government II class (taught with Dr. Lytle) that I determined to change my major and eventually to become an attorney.  He was my Honors College advisor and counseled me through my two Honors Theses.  I have been a practicing attorney in New York and New Jersey for more than 25 years.  For 20+ years, I have served from time to time as a municipal attorney, planning board member, utilities authority chairman and in other local governmental and school board volunteer positions (including 15 years as coach of the recreation wrestling program) in the towns I have called home.

Dr. Joyner's influence on me in that regard has been profound - you do those things because you can and, therefore, you must.  I owe Dr. Joyner as much as any former student owes one of the professors who lit the path for him or her.  I thought I should tell his family that.  Please accept my condolences.

Fondly, Jim Rudy ('76)

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Conrad Joyner was the second member of my committee in 1972-1976. Dr. Jim Hogan was Chair. I was awarded my Masters in State and Local Policy Making with distinction partly because of Conrad's tutulage.

There are a few professors who really made an impression on my life.Conrad was one of them. I studied both 200 and 300 level courses under him, and still have my notes from all his classes.

Please extend my sympathy to his family. He was a huge soul.

Roger Thomas

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I was one of his PH.D advisees at the University of Arizona graduating in 1970. Since graduating from Arizona I have been teaching political science at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

He was a fine model for those of us who were not only interested in political science, but practical politics as well. He was kind to me and I will never forget that he invited us to your home one evening to meet Barry Goldwater. His close friend Mark Hatfield became one of my favorite Senators and I have repeated many of your father's stories to my students. Many of us felt in the late 1960s that your father was the great hope for Tucson and Pima County politics and he was a model for the virtuous statesman.

Very sincerely, Craig Grau

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Your father was an outstanding instructor and made a liberal arts education particularly meaningful by bringing his insight and experience to the classroom in a quasi-research mode unfamiliar to underclassmen in the late 1970s. I took "Local Government Politics" with Professor Joyner and wrote a research paper where I interviewed City of Tucson figures and drew my own conclusions.  What an enlightening educational exercise that was for me. I still have that paper to this day!

Last year I had this feeling that I should contact him, and I am so glad in light of his recent death that I talked to your father one last time. I was quick to thank him for his contributions to my life and recalled details that he no longer remembered but was gracious enough to listen. I regret that I was not able to visit him in Tucson.

My father died in Florida this past December.  Your father made some fantastic contributions to the University, the City of Tucson and the County.  I wish that I could have attended the commemorations for him in Tucson.

Sincerely yours, Joe Faulkner

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We are saddened to learn of our old friend Conrad's death. We started playing racquet ball in the late 1970's; until his stroke. He taught two sons at the UofA and they always commented on his "entertaining classes". Conrad's loyalty and his sense of humor will never be forgotten. Your family was privileged to have had Conrad for a father and grandfather.

We will mis him a lot.

Yours truly, Edward Persellin and Steven Persellin

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Mark,

I was saddened to hear about your father.  One of my fondest childhood memories is from the summer you and I hung-out after school.  One afternoon, for whatever reason, your dad made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  For whatever reason, (probably because he was THE Conrad Joyner and your father!) I was terrified of him and I think he knew it.  I remember him handing me the sandwich and looking me in the eyes.  Then, just as I reached for it, he laughed and his eyes twinkled - suddenly I felt like I was at home...  That memory always stuck with me and I have used it for strength many times over the years when I had have had to face the unknown.  The last time I saw him was 2 or 3 years ago at the KingFisher - the twinkle was still there and so was the warmth - what an amazing man.

Brenda

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You probably don't remember me, but I was in Stage Band with you at Rincon High School.

I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to have heard of your father's passing. I had played racquetball with him many times at the Tucson Athletic Club, and had talked to him many more times about pretty much everything. He was a very accomplished and successful man, and I am very proud to have known him.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

Sincerely, Glen

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I was saddened to learn of your father's recent passing. I knew your father
for more than 30 years. I took 3 classes from him at the University of Arizona and thoroughly enjoyed each one. Your dad had a great passion for politics and the political process. It was evident in his teaching style. He was always enthusiastic and smiling in the classroom.

You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Your father made a
meaningful and valuable contribution to Tucson and he will be missed by a
great number of people.

Very truly yours, Christopher C. Browning

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I was very saddened to hear of your Father's passing. He was one of the all time greats in this community. He was also one of my personal favorites. Whether it was at the UofA or Hi Corbett, I could always count on him for his wit.

He used to stand in front of stand #3 (by the warehouse, remember?) after buying a beer and he'd look at me and say, "You know George, the beer's still colder at the TCC!" I would say, "Come on Doc, I just had these units serviced!" I never did win that one, he always got me but he knew that, looking back on it now.

When I had your Dad for government (now known as Poli-Sci.) at the UofA back in the early 70's, he got me even then. I remember talking to him after class one time & asking a stupid question & he said, "Well George, what did the book say about that?" I stuttered and stammered while he gave me that wink and said, "after you do your reading, it should be pretty self-explanatory." But he was always a very fair "student's professor." His lectures were always interesting because of his hands on experience on the City Council and the Board of Supervisors. He always had funny stories to tell about local constituents, idiots, wackos and politicians. Sometimes they were one and the same.

He will be greatly missed but definitely remembered by all of us that had the pleasure of knowing him.

G.H.

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My Brother, Conrad Joyner

This is one of Conrad’s beautiful sisters reminiscing about our relationship.  I have never been on this planet without Conrad and I really, really miss him.  We shared many things over our lifetime and had a deep love.  While I am devastated by my brother’s death, I have many, many reasons to celebrate his life as a contributing member of our family, to his many friends and to society.

We both were basketball junkies so we talked often during college basketball season about one game or the other but, mostly the University of Arizona Wildcats for whom Conrad had great affection and loyalty. The Wildcats were often described to me as greats; some of the best basketball players ever.

I could write many stories about many topics related to Conrad and his life.  But, I will limit my reminiscence to Conrad and his beginnings in politics; at about age 7 or 8.

With his other beautiful sister, Maria Conrad  and I, we  were introduced to politics at a very early age as our father and uncles would sit around our kitchen table almost every Sunday afternoon  and debate, no, argue about politics.  Conrad would sit with them taking it all in.  My sister and I would listen from a distance; I think we were afraid a fist fight might start and we wanted to be able to get away fast. Not Conrad, he sat there during those Sunday debates while politics was being injected into his being.

Later on when there was an election in town, Conrad would hang out at the campaign headquarters; it did not matter, Democrat or Republican.  But, in 1940 during the Wilke-Roosevelt campaign, the birth of Conrad as a Republican took place.  Wendell Wilke lived in Rushville, Indiana just 14 miles from Connersville, our hometown.  During the campaign the Republican headquarters were Conrad’s home away from home.  I remember him plastering his himself, top to bottom, back to front, with Wilke buttons and walking proudly all over town talking to towns’ folks about the virtues of Wendell Wilke. This was at a time when Conrad was not quite 12 years old and not of age to vote. Please don’t burn me on the cross when I say this, but I have often wondered if Franklin Roosevelt lived in Rushville would Conrad have become a Democrat. 

During this same time, Conrad became a buddy of a Republican gentleman who was running for Justice of the Peace. Conrad went around town knocking on doors urging people to vote for Clyde Thralls. As the result of that experience Conrad was named a precinct man.  If he were here today, Conrad would tell you what a proud moment that was.  I can still see him running down the street toward home to tell our mother.

While at Earlham College, Conrad developed a framework for his political passion. He often said that he studied with some of the best political minds of the time; professors such as Landrum Bolling, David Dennis, Arthur Funston, William Fuson and Orville Johnson. Conrad later honed his political knowledge and skills at the University of Florida with David Diamond whom he revered.

After a sojourn to Australia as a Fulbright Scholar and academic appointment at the Universities of West Virginia and Louisiana, Conrad ended up at the University of Arizona where both his academic and political careers took shape.  His accomplishments at the University of Arizona and in the political arena of Tucson and elsewhere have been well documented.  Even after retirement, Conrad never lost his interests in politics.  He studied it with great enthusiasm and offered all of us a plethora of advice. The portrayal of Conrad as a “political junkie” is the best descriptor of him that I ever heard; before the term “junkie” became part of our language, Conrad was one. He was also a political child prodigy; trust me.

Betty

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